TNAG-2019-FCO40-2881-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Australia-1990 — Page 40

APPENDIX (1)

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MELBOURNE: Monday 5/3: 6.30.pm: Pacific Institute Dinner hosted

by chairman Alfred Brookes (he had to leave for a pre-arranged function), then hosted and discussions chaired by Douglas Hocking, Deputy Chairman (attendance list attached).

Venue was the Melbourne Club where the establishment of Melbourne gathers successful senior executives with impeccable contacts and influence. The function was initiated by Jaque Grinberg, Regional Director (Melbourne) of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

reaction: An extremely attentive and intelligent audience with some hard questions but many were impressed. A number indicated that it was one of the most informative briefings the Institute had had.

NOTE: We had asked to tape discussions but were told that Chatham House rules applied. This did not prevent the Japanese Consul from writing down as much as he could, furiously scribbling when matters were "off-the-record". I complained to some of the members who will raise the indiscretion with the Chairman. Grinberg meanwhile said he would speak to the Japanese Consul General to ensure that no report was made. The Consul in question had

earlier volunteered to me that the Japanese were worried about their exposure in Hong Kong.

MELBOURNE: Tuesday 6/3: 8.am: Victorian Government China Advisory

Committee chaired by Michael Pointer (attendance list available some members had attended previous meetings at Chamber of Manufactures/Chamber of Commerce/Pacific Institute/ANZ Bank).

Many (government servant and government nominee) members of this committee seemed almost in awe of the briefing they were given and it was clear that for some, a huge information gap existed.

reaction: Clearly an uneven committee of knowledge drawn from both government and private sectors. One of the most senior Government officials volunteered that the briefing had been "terrific" factual and informative.

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MELBOURNE: Tuesday 6/3: 11.am: "The Age" briefing, chaired by Peter

Cole-Adams, Associate Editor, in absence of Editor who was ill with chicken-pox. Also present Chris Richards, Foreign Editor, and Graham Barrett, Leader Writer.

General briefing

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interested in Basic Law, domestic Hong Kong political situation and outlook, and the outlook for Taiwan.

reaction: Foreign editor Chris Richards commented later that it was the first time he could remember the group of senior editors all attending a briefing of this nature that it was often left to him alone to go through the motions with visiting diplomats. He said Cole-Adams had been impressed by Barrie's speech to the HKABA and had circulated this to other editors for reading. Richards himself had found the briefing valuable.